1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to products for restricting the flow of airborne contaminants into a nasal passage. More particularly, it is directed to such a product which includes the ability to create an artificial electrostatic field in an area close to, at, or within the nasal passage to either repel or attract airborne contaminants, or both, to prevent such contaminants from entering the nasal passage and body of a user.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Electrical fields exist in all spaces which interact with airborne charges, particulates, water droplets and absorbed gases. In other words, electrical fields are all around us. Thus, even around the human body, there is a naturally occurring electrostatic field which may be dependant upon a number of factors. The intensity and charge of the field is dependant upon what the person is wearing, the relative humidity, the air content, the temperature and other factors. Additionally, man made environmental considerations seriously affect electrical fields around the human body. Thus, electrical wires, lighting, computer terminals, televisions, radios, transmitters, electric razors, hair dryers, humidifiers, air conditioners, heaters, electric blankets and many other man made external devices will affect a charge about the human body. However, notwithstanding the fact that the body will typically have an electrical field about it, including in the general area of nasal passages, airborne contaminants enter nasal passages and enter into the body to seriously impact upon many individuals. Thus, there is industrial and chemical pollution which may have short term and certainly, has perceivable long term effects on many individuals. Additionally, there are natural pollutants such as various types of pollens and spores which cause allergies and, in severe cases, will have a major impact upon the human bodies' ability to function in a normal fashion.
Attempts to protect the human body and especially the nasal passages of people who are exposed to various airborne contaminants have taken many forms. These include structures which attempt to remove contaminants on a macro scale. Thus, we have homes, vehicles, offices and other complexes and even enclosed malls which have major air filters which may be mechanical and/or electrostatic. Many homes today are built with electrostatic precipitators as part of the heating and air conditioning systems. In addition to building-wide attempts to remove contaminants and pollutants from the air, room deodorizers, ionizers and air filters have been promoted and are recognized to remove some contaminants. Such devices, however, may or may not attract the contaminants and remove them after they have passed before individuals in the room. Finally, on the personalized level, air filter masks and other mechanical filters have been proposed but are recognized as extreme attempts to remove contaminants and are also beamed as cumbersome and antisocial.
In addition to attempts to remove airborne contaminants to reduce the intake of such contaminants, one significant alternative approach is to treat the human body after the contaminants have entered the body. This is not a preventive approach, but rather an after the fact attempt to minimize or eliminate the effects of the contaminants and pollutants. Thus, many people today take hay fever medications, sinus medication and allergy medication for this purpose. The problem with the pharmaceutical approach is that it does not prevent the damage done by the airborne contaminants but rather removes or reduces some of the symptoms or results.
Notwithstanding the significant attempts over the decades to reduce human exposure to airborne contaminants, many people today continue to be exposed to natural and man made contaminants and suffer significantly. Further, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests the present invention approach to the problem which is unique and different from all others, that is, the creation of an artificial electrostatic field in the area near the nasal passage to repel and/or attract airborne contaminants and to thereby prevent such contaminants from entering the nasal passage.